Hello everyone! My name is Ellen and I am part of ART 150: Multicultural America.
I
recently finished my Service Learning Requirements in the U.S. before I set off
to stay with family abroad for the rest of the semester. In the U.S., I spent
my time volunteering at a school called "Danz", which was an
elementary school located in my hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. There I
worked with kids in an after school program called "Academic
Success". It's a program that is part of the Boy's and Girl's Club. (Danz
is just one of the many locations that programs like this is offered through
the Club.)
Although
most of the students I had actually came from Danz, kids that don't attend the
school can also participate. The program is aimed to help students successfully
get through school by working on homework, literacy, math, and computer skills.
 |
| Danz Elementary School, Green Bay, WI. |
"All
young people, regardless of background or circumstances, should be equipped to
reach their full potential"-Boys and Girls Club
This
program is especially important in my area because many of the students lack
the resources and support to successfully get through school. It is amazing the
difference that just a couple hours after school of homework, tutoring, and fun
can change a student’s outlook on school.
Some
interesting demographics about Danz that contribute to my emphasis on the
importance of this program:
This
school is a Spanish Immersion school,
meaning that every other day is taught in Spanish. Most of the student body is
Hispanic. In fact, Hispanic students
make up 68.8%, 15.3% are White not Hispanic,
8.6% are Black not Hispanic, 6.3%
are Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1.0% are American Indian or Alaska
Native.
Out
if this student body, 59.1% are “Limited English Proficient” and 89.8% are Economically Disadvantaged.
Taking
into consideration that the majority of the kids participating in the program
come directly from Danz, these demographics from the School’s most recent Report Card available (2013-2014) are generally
transferable as demographics of the kids participating in the program. Once
again, for this reason, this program is crucial for my community to have and
plays a significant role in shaping these kids lives.
Why am I abroad and why
does that have anything to do with this course?
I
am currently living with family in Turin, Italy as of February 17th.
Although I finished my Service Learning Requirements in the U.S., I wanted to
continue volunteering in a similar setting while I living abroad. I have family
here that offered me the opportunity to stay with them for the semester, and
that is definitely a chance I would never pass up! I think volunteering in a
similar setting will give me an interesting perspective to compare and contrast
with the volunteer work I’ve done in the U.S already (Danz). I’m excited to
learn about the differences that each place holds concerning issues of race and
diversity, and other relations to this course.
